Á Íslandi - Aamu - 38

   I still have some more words to use, but it seems that the story is unfolding without any of them being used. I still have tomorrow to correct this.
   Status so far:
1. entice
2. excuse
3. blackbird
4. swaying
5. better
6. mechanical
7. disorder
         and/or:
1. peeling
2. clouds
3. scrambled
4. solid
5. curio
6. float
7. fountain


Aamu, would you and your husband please go first?"

Aamu nodded, grasped her husband's hand and walked through the portal with determined steps. They disappeared.
"Wow," Daniel said. "I did not quite believe you."
"No?" Susan said looking at him."Why shouldn't you? A strange lady pops in and tells your mother she's a witch, and goes on blabbering of portals and flying brooms. I really get why you would not quite believe me."
Daniel looked at Susan, saw the wink in her blue-grey eyes and laughed a deep belly laugh.
"Let's test it, shall we." he said when he was able to talk again. Susan extended her hand and Daniel grasped it. Susan pulled them both through the shimmering portal.
In the dark of the portal room Daniel clutched her hand and made retching sounds. "Not fun!" he gasped. "Not fun at all."
"I actually don't find it a pleasure either," Susan said. "But it's fast. Now we're in Iceland." Susan stopped talking and clutched Daniel's arm. He looked at her. She was white as a sheet. He pulled her to a chair and sat her down. Aamu and Mr Weber came running over. "What's wrong," Aamu asked. Susan shook her head: "Nothing but me being stupid," she said reaching for her backpack. Daniel held it while she slipped her arms out of the loops. "I forgot to eat." She said pulling out the bag of cookies and crammed a couple into her mouth. Che chewed and swallowed and got some of her colour back. Another couple of cookies and a drink of water had her fully restored. "Sorry for the scare," she said. "I always get weak from going through more than two portals if I do not eat. Would you like some cookies too? Hilde is a great chef."
They all had some cookies and Daniel shook her head: "It actually helps. I did not feel like eating after that trip, but I'm better now with a cookie in my stomach. Can I have one more?"
"Please do." Susan said, holding out the bag. "How did you like Portal transfer, Mr. Weber?"
"I'm Uwe," he said and gave Susan his hand. "I did not feel a thing. It was like going through a door. Just as you said." Susan shook his hand. "Pleased to get to know you, Uwe." She rose, closed the bag on the remaining cookies and returned them to the backpack. "And now we have the other half of the journey in front of us. Please come."
She left the Shiltach portal room and went down the stony corridor. Daniel ran his hand over the walls, felt the doorways, looked at the ceiling and poked his head through all openings on their way. "This is in many ways a central station," Susan said. From here you can go lots of places, with no more ill effects than a dizzy spell - if you are a witch like me, that is."
Daniel laughed again. "I'd like to go to a lot of places," he said.
"So would I," Susan answered, "but now we're going back to Birch Manor, and this here portal is the right one." She turned down another corridor and opened a door with a blue symbol over it.
"Why are some of the doors named, while others have only blue squares and such?" Daniel asked
"That's not exactly a secret," Susan said, "but the explanation is fairly complicated, and I do not know it that well. Later you can ask Finnbogi - he's out Portals master - he'll be more than happy to explain."
"Are you implying that Daniel is a wizard?"  Aamu asked.
"Oh, blast it, I must still be a bit confused, but yes I am. Dizziness going through a portal is one of the tests. I'm sure you felt it as well."
"I did," Aamu said. "And I remember having felt like this before. But like I told you yesterday I do not remember where."
"Me, a wizard?" Daniel said, a foolish grin spreading on his face. "I always loved reading stories about children going through a hidden door and finding themselves in another world where magic was real, Narnia, The little red school, the sorcerer's mill in Koselbruch, all these places ..."
"So much for my down-to-earth son," Aamu said with a sigh. "I thought that your Papa and your job had chased all these stories from your head."
"Mum, you're a librarian," Daniel said still smiling foolishly. "You if anybody should know that stories like these stay in your mind. How often have you told me of your own favourite books?"
"Let's get on," Susan said. "Aamu, you and Uwe go first again?"
"Can do," Aamu said. "I'm ready to have my head sorted out." She offered Uwe her arm, and together they walked through the portal.
"Did you really mean it?" Daniel said. "That I am a wizard, that I can do magic?"
"Yes i did, and yes I do. But if you do not hurry, I'm going to change you into a toad!" Susan waved her wand at Daniel, who grasped Susan's hand and went to the portal. "This one is easier to see. Let's go."

 ... to be continued

Reuse -- the "new" black

   Today is Earth Overshhot Day for Denmark.
   Today I cleaned an old container in the garden. It was filled with debris and old screws that came from the now pulled down playhouse. I looked at the screws, some of them actually looked as if they might work. Some were totally bent or even broken in two. I considered re-using some of them, gave up the thought and put them all in a container for re-cycling.
   Then this small passage from Little House on the Prairie came to my mind:

  Now Pa carefully took the nails one by one from his mouth, and with ringing blows of the hammer he drove them into the slab. It was much quicker than drilling holes and whittling pegs and driving them into the holes. But every now and then a nail sprang away from the tough oak when the hammer hit it, and if Pa was not holding it firmly, it went sailing through the air.
  Then Mary and Laura watched it fall and they searched in the grass till they found it. Sometimes it was bent. Then Pa carefully pounded it straight again. It would never do to lose or waste a nail.  (From chapter 10: A Roof and a Floor)

     How did we get from there to where we are today?

Poetry Monday :: Respect Your Cat Day

If you want to read some better  poetry,  Diane - who has taken over the hosting of  this challenge - and Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings - who also supplies us with topics - are writing wonderful, funny, thought-provoking, ingenious and honestly well written verse. Go and read.

  Karen of Baking in a Tornado has joined us in this crazy pursuit, and promises us at least a poem a month - may  we hope for more!

  SpikesBestMate often publishes a nice verse in the comments.

  Jenny at Procrastinating Donkey who has been a faithful participant, is slowly returning to blogging after her husband's passing from this world. Let's continue to send warm thoughts, good energy, and lots of prayers her way. And dare we hope that she will join Poetry Monday again.

Today's topic is: Respect Your Cat Day
Because at this date in 1384 Richard II allegedly put forth an edict forbidding us to eat them.

Disclaimer: I would never dream of harming, much less eating a cat. This is just a nonsensical ryhyme that popped up in my brains while I was digging my garden.

Do not eat your kitty,
It's soft and so pretty.
Beware of the claws,
In those soft velvet paws
Beware of the teeth
In the strong locking jaws,
A kitty's a beast
It wants you as its feast.
It will poop in your beds*
It will scratch in our heads.
It is feisty and smart
And they stink when they fart.
So why can't we have our revenge?
Second Richard forbade,
He'd rotate in his grave,
If he knew what I have to avenge.

* the garden variety

Á Íslandi - Aamu - 37

Just continuing with the story. I did not succeed in using any of the left over Words.
My standing thus is still:

1. entice
2. excuse
3. blackbird
4. swaying
5. better
6. mechanical
7. disorder
         and/or:
1. peeling
2. clouds
3. scrambled
4. solid
5. curio
6. float
7. fountain

My rose, her coppery hair almost aglow in the morning sun: "Dear friends, This will be a big day. It is a day I and I think all of us have been waiting for. I want to warn you, though. Today will also be a day of much waiting, so be sure to bring your knitting, books, drawing materials, in short all you can imagine making a wait pleasant. Jan, Heidi, Tage and Lis will take turns manning the kitchen, so those are the ones to go to when you get hungry, as for once lunch won't be an organized affair. I would like everybody to get up now, carry their used cutlery and so on to the small table and then follow me, Susan and Rósa to the meadows."
Susan rose and together she and My went to the door leading to the meadows. There they stood and waited. Rósa came running down the stairs clutching a piece of paper in her hand. When she saw My and Susan she augmented her speed and waved the paper with a big smile: "Here is Anna's letter. I was sure I had it somewhere. She is coming today, now, half past nine. She'll use the portal ..."
"Easy does it," Susan said smiling. "But this is good news indeed. Would you care to be our reception committee? Then we'll organize people in the meadows until you return"?
"Great," Rósa said, still out of breath, and almost ran to the portals room.

Everybody stood waiting. Lis and Tage each held a pair of fidgeting grandchildren and Heidi carried a soundly sleeping Tobias.
"Now," My said, "now we go out into the meadows. There I'll tell you where to stay and wait your turn. Please stay together in families, the idea is having the old apprentices watching over and helping their "clan" if I may call them so, to get accustomed to the magic."
She and Susan each grabbed a big sac and went ahead.
"What about us?" Hans said, and Susan and My both stopped up and listened.  "Our clan-leader, Hilde has gone off with Rasmus. And Dad, I mean Eyvind, can't help."
"Eyvind sure can help keeping you together and entertaining impatient small ones," My said. "He is a good granddad and I was going to wait with your clan to the very end, giving Hilde and Rasmus a chance of returning."
"Fine with me," Hans said. "The weather is right for staying out of doors anyway."
"Can we make some woodcraft and maybe have a fire out there?" Eyvind asked, encouraged by My's  friendly words.
"Of course you can." Susan said. "In fact this is  a splendid idea. I think I saw a humongous bag of marshmallows somewhere. Only please do not cut living wood, It can be dangerous, especially today. But the wood piles and all fallen branches are yours to use."
 "I'll keep the clan toeing your line," Eyvind said saluting Susan who shouldered her sac again and walked out into the sunshine followed by a long, unorderly line of people.
Finally everybody was in the meadows. Susan and My put down their sacs and lined up all the old apprentices with their clans gathered behind them. My entrusted Magnus with temporary clan leadership.

"Unfair as it might seem, we're going to begin with my clan," My said.  "Magnus, please step forward and present the children to me and Susan."
"Yes mom," he said. "I'm Magnus, the oldest child of My, I'm married to Estrid, and we have two children, Nora and Markus." He turned a bit and stood facing his sister. "Next is Mona her husband Joakim and their two children, Sara and Emilie." He turned a bit more, facing his smaller brother. "And youngest son, Martin, his wife Stine, and their three children, Thea, Marte, and Henrik."

My thanked him. "When we were at the Unicorn Farm, we were split into five teams by our professors." My began. "It had to do with what kind of magic came easiest to you, today you're arbitrarily assigned your parent's colour, and as I am blue, I'll ask all of my clan to put on a blue T-shirt."
Susan opened her sac and pulled out 13 blue T-shirts.  "First little taste of magic," she said. "Don't mind the size, it's really one size fits all here," Susan smiled, then laughed out loud as Joakim struggled into a T-shirt, only to see it expand to fit his well trained chest and six-pack. "Truly amazing," he said, and helped Emilie put on a big T-shirt, that shrunk to fit her slight frame.
"Magnus, Estrid, Nora and Markus, Come here," My called. They walked over to her, "Magnus, you already have a wand?" He nodded, "And Estrid, you are not a witch, as I understand it?"
"Unfortunately not," she answered, "What I have experienced since we arrived yesterday has been ...it is ..." she shook her head. "It simply defies description, and it saddens me to experience ti on second hand only!"
My gently patted her DiLs shoulder.
 
"Nora, what do you say, do you want to learn how to become a witch?"
Nora wrinkled her dainty nose and looked at My. "You're one, granny, but how can small girls be witches?"
Susan began laughing. "I think I am going to answer that one  before I have to leave. That was exactly what I asked many, many years ago, when I was told I was a witch. Gilvi, he was my teacher, answered: Do you think witches are born old, maybe?"
"They can't be," Nora said. "And this is a school for witches?" She looked up at Susan who nodded. "I like that."
"Fine, stay here with me while My asks your brother the same question."  
"Markus," My said, looking down at the freckled, determined boy facing her. He looks just like Dennis the Menace, My thought, then asked him: "How would you like to do magic?"
"Very much! Grammy!" He said, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Fine, go over to Susan, I'll be there in a second." She looked at Susan. "It's time for you to get going, Susan,"
"Yes," Susan said, "I must say I would like to stay. I'll hurry all I can and get back with Aamu."

Halfway to the house she met Rósa returning with Anna and a man Susan did not know in tow. "Oh, you made it here!" Susan said. "I hope it was not too unpleasant going through the portal." She looked at the man, He was blond and tall as Anna, and he smiled warmly at Susan
"I survived," Anna said, "And what more is, I brought my cousin, Helge with me!"
"Oh, Gosh, Helge, is that really you?" Susan said. "I'm so happy to see you. I've been thinking so much about you. We have to talk later."
Helge looked shy, grateful that Susan remembered him. "Yes we have much talking to do," he said. "Hurry back home!"

Susan closed the door to the portals room behind her and leaned against it. She was not looking forward to going through the portals to Schiltach and back again. She re-opened the door and grasped a handful of cookies and a pear from one of the small tables. All of it went into a small bag and then into her faithful backpack. Then she reluctantly crossed the room and went through the faintly blue portal to Iceland.
It was true, the dizziness got better. Not by much, but you had to count your blessings. Susan shook her head and slowly left the tiny cubicle, turned down the stone hewn corridor and stopped outside the room with Shiltach clearly written over the door. She opened the door, it felt heavy, almost as if it did not want to open. The portal in the room were also faintly blue, sparkling and twisting. Susan walked over to the portal, the few steps needed to take her there, seemed to last forever. Portals are smart, she chided herself. They spare you for hours upon hours in a train or in a car. Get going already, my girl, then you'll be home in the sunshine at Birch Manor, singing wands for your grandkids in next to no time.
Susan closed her eyes and jumped.
When she opened her eyes again the sun once again shone upon her, a hotter sun, a bit higher in the sky too. And Aamu stood in the clearing with two men. One of them Susan's age, he looked like Susan always had imagined a German businessman, suit, tie and black shoes even in the warm sun. The young man had the same eyes as his mother; and Mr Weber's hair had surely had that very same nutbrown hue before it turned grey. But Susan was sure that he had never worn it that long. He and his mother were comfortably dressed in what Susan's mother jokingly called camping habits.
"Hello" Aamu said. "We were afraid you would not come after all."
"Pleased to meet you," Susan said. "And of course I would. Only a lot happened. Good mostly. Could we please go back now?"
"Can you bring us all three?" Aamu asked.
"I don't need to bring you," Susan protested. "And if you take Mr Weber's hand I'll offer my support to the young master."
"I'm Daniel," he said. "And I would gladly be led through the portal by you."
Susan looked at the portal, then back at Daniel and Mr Weber. "Can you see the portal?" she asked.
"No," Mr Weber answered. "It looks like a normal stretch of wood to me."
"Maybe," Daniel said, "If I squint, and do not look straight at it, I think I see something, something blue, flickery, maybe."
"That sounds just right. This is actually quite easy. You just hold my hand and go trough. You will maybe feel something like being turned upside down, maybe you won't feel a thing, more like going through a door into a dark room. Aamu, would you and your husband please go first?"

... to be continued

Birch Manor - Who's Who - Knud's Spreadsheet

Now - at my Unicorn Farm Blog - I've added Knud's Spreadsheet of old apprentices, their partners, their children with partners,  and childrens' children (aka. grandchildren).
It's in Danish, but I hope that despite this it can be of help to anybody getting lost in the many people meeting here and now at Birch Manor.

LINK

Please point out any errors or inconsistencies, you find! I'm not perfect, as part 36 showed us all 😇